NSC reasserting its authority could start depoliticising data: Pronab Sen

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), successful its July order, had justified the dissolution of the Sen-led SCoS connected the grounds that its enactment was “overlapping” with a steering committee acceptable up by the NSC to oversee National Sample Surveys.

In an interrogation with The Indian Express, Sen acknowledged that helium had nary anterior informing of the determination and lone received an email successful mid-July informing him.

“I received an email stating that the Standing Committee (SCoS) was being dissolved owed to an overlap with an NSC subcommittee. This amazed me, arsenic the subcommittee was lone overseeing 1 survey, whereas the Standing Committee covered the full range, with nary notation of what would hap to the different ongoing surveys,” helium said.

When asked if helium sought much clarity from Ministry officials regarding the decision, Sen said helium did not. Despite his archetypal surprise, Sen said helium was blessed with the development, arsenic it could mean that the NSC is reaffirming its authorization and reestablishing region from the government.

“I was blessed because, astatine agelong last, aft a spread of possibly 7 years, it appeared that the NSC was reasserting its position, which is precise bully news. Because again, what you are doing is you are starting a process of depoliticising the data,” helium said.

Asked if helium was alluding to the politicisation of the country’s authoritative information nether the incumbent government, Sen said, “Yes. If the rumours astir information being sent to NITI Aayog oregon the Cabinet Secretariat for vetting earlier merchandise are true, past that is politicising data.”

“This alteration could instrumentality things successful a much affirmative direction, establishing the region between… information and government,” helium said.

Formed successful July 2023, the SCoS was intended to counsel the Union authorities connected survey methodology, including aspects similar sampling frame, sampling design, and survey instruments, arsenic good arsenic to finalise the tabulation program for surveys. In its 1 twelvemonth of existence, Sen noted, the SCoS consistently highlighted delays successful conducting the colonisation census and economical census.

“You see, each surveys gully their samples from the Census data. Over time, arsenic we determination distant from the day of the census, the samples go little and little representative, and we are each alert of this,” Sen explained.

The contented is that the census process takes astir 2 years, and we were getting further and further from the astir caller data. Anything done aft 2024 would go much unreliable than we anticipated. Not having a census doesn’t conscionable mean missing a number — it affects astir each information we person astir the colonisation successful India,” helium said. “If the investigation we behaviour is based connected faulty survey data, past our decisions volition besides beryllium wrong. That’s the halfway of the problem.”

Sen said that successful each SCoS meetings erstwhile this contented was raised, the representatives of MoSPI did not person immoderate factual answers connected erstwhile the authorities was readying to commencement census work.

Asked if the Standing Committee’s accordant flagging of concerns implicit census hold had thing to bash with its dissolution, Sen said, “I truly don’t know. I anticipation not. That would beryllium a unspeakable happening to person happened. I anticipation what has happened is that with the caller NSC being acceptable up, the NSC is reasserting itself.”